Button-blank-cutting machine.



No. 659,!91. Patented Oct. 2, I900. N. BARRY, .IR.

BUTTON BLANK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 17. 1900.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet I.

No. 65915. Patented Oct. 2, moo.

N. BARRY, 1R. BUTTON BLANK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1900- 2 Sheets8heet 2.

(No Model.)

NITED STATES NICHOLAS BARRY, JR.,

PATENT ()FFICE,

OF MUSOATINE, IOWA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,191, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed March 17, 1900. Serial No. 9,088. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS BARRY, Jr., of Muscatine, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Blank-Cutting Machines; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in button-blank-cutting machines which are used in cutting circular blanks from shells, bones, &c., from which blank buttons are subsequently made. These blanks are ordinarily cut by means of a rotating tubular saw,which is driven at high speed. In front of this saw the shell is held by the operator and then pressed against the saw by means of a pusher, which ordinarily consists of a wooden plug mounted on a tubular shaft operated by a screw-shaft, which can be rotated by hand, so as to cause the pusher to force the shell against the saw, and the pusher being withdrawn after the blank is out. In some machines the pusher can be advanced and retracted by means of toggle-levers. Heretofore these wood plugs have been simply driven into the end of the pusher on the tail-stock, as this part is ordinarily termed, (the cutter being mounted'in the oppositelydriven head-stock of the machine,) and the plugs when new project considerably from the tail-stock and are gradually worn down, and it becomes eventually necessary either to adjust the entire tail-stock toward the head-stock or to keep moving the pusher farther inward at all times, and these adjustments cause loss of time and lessen the number of blanks which it would otherwise be possible for the operator to cut in a given time. Another practical disadvantage of this style of machine is that when the plugs are new they necessarily project some distance from their tail-stock and are unsteady and liable to wobble more or less, which is a great annoyance to the operator and causes injury to the saw by unequal pressure and improper presentation of the blanks thereto.

One object of the present invention is to improve such button-blank-cutting machines .by providing the tail-stock with a wooden plug adjustably mounted within the tubular shaft or pusher, so that it can be gradually ejected asit is worn,while maintaining a substantially-u niform projection from the pusher, such construction preventing wobbling of the plug, facilitating the adjustment thereof as it becomes worn, and enables larger plugs to be used, thereby increasing the efficiency of the machine by lessening the time required for changes and alterations therein and also enabling me, if desired, to shorten the distance between the tail-stock and the headstock, thus'lightening the machine and enabling me to rigidly and permanently unite the tail-stock with the head-stock. This is the principal feature of the present invention.

Another feature of the invention relates to the novel means for preventing the pusher, as the tubular shaft carrying the plug is ordinarily termed,from rotating when the screwshaft by which it is advanced is turned or While the button-blank is being out. In machines heretofore made this pusher has been splined in its hearings in the tail-stock in the ordinary manner by means of a key and keyway, which wear Very rapidly, owing to the continual reciprocation of the pusher-shaft, and when this wear reaches a certain point the machine will not work efficiently or accurately, and it becomes necessary to take the machine to a repair-shop and out a new keyway or enlarge the old one and provide a larger key, which is of course costly and troublesome.

My present invention does away with the keyway and slot by providing efficient exterior means for preventing rotation of the pusher, the devices for doing which will be described hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a form of button-cutting machines embodying my invention, and therein Figure 1 is a side view of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the tail-stock end enlarged. Fig. 3 is a view of the reverse side of the tail-stock. Fig. 4 is an end View of the tail-stock. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the tail-stock. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7

is a detail section through the pusher and block H.

The head-stock S of the machine is provided with bearings s s foratubular shaft A, carrying a cone-pulley A and a tubular saw B, and these parts may be of ordinary construction and need no further description. I might remark, however, that the blanks pass through the tubular saw and are discharged from the end of the shaftAor through some lateral opening in the side thereof.

In the tail-stock T is journaled a sliding pusher, which consists of a tubular shaft 0, provided with an exterior screw-thread c at one end engaging an internally-threaded sleeve D, journaled in the outer bearingt on the tail-stock and provided with a hand wheel or lever D, by which it can be rotated, so as to mow the pusher longitudinally in the tailstock.

On the pusher C and between the bearings t t is fastened a ring E, provided with a projecting finger e, that enters alongitudinal guidewayfat the side of the tail-stock formed between upper and lower bars F, attached to the stock, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. By this means the rotation of the pusher is effectively prevented, and if there should be any slight wear in the slot f it can be Very readily compensated for either by putting shims in the slot f or by drawing the opposite bars F more closely together.

During the operation of cutting blanks the strain against the pusher is longitudinal and is transmitted through the sleeve D to the outer bearing 25 of the tail-stock, the sleeve D being provided with a flange d on its inner end, which bears against the inner face of the bearing 1, and to reduce friction between these parts the ball-races d and antifriction-balls d are used, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Fitted in the inner end of the pusher O is a wooden plug G, which projects but a short distance from the end of the pusher, and its inner end abuts against a block H, which is provided with an internally-threaded recess, with which engages an adjusting screw-rod I. This rod projects through a bushing J, tapped into the end of the pusher, and is provided with an adjusting wheel or nutz'on its outer end, by which the screw-rod I can be turned. The rod is provided with a collar t", which bears against the inner end of the bushing J and prevents longitudinal movement of the rod. Consequently when the rod is rotated the block II will be moved within the pusher and can be caused to project the plug G therefrom as the latter is worn, so as to always maintain the proper projection of the block from the pusher.

In order to prevent the block H turning with the rod I, which would prevent its proper longitudinal movement in the pusher, a key K is tapped through the pusher, as indicated in Figs. 7 and 5, and engages agroove or flattened part It in the lower edge of the block H and effectively prevents rotation thereof with rod I Without interfering with the rotation of the pusher.

From the foregoing it will be seen that if the wood plug becomes worn it can be forced out of the pusher to take up the wear by turning rod I until the plug is entirely used up. Then the rod I may be rotated in the opposite direction, so as to draw back the block H, and a new plug can then be inserted.

Obviously, as the plug G need be projected very slightly from the pusher, the tail-stock can be set much nearer the head-stock in this style of machine. The wood block will also be always firmly and steadily maintained in position, thus enabling the operator to produce uniform and regularly-cut blanks with less wear and tear on the saw and operative parts, and by reason of the improved means for preventing rotation of the pusher the wear is largely reduced, and such as may occur can be easily compensated for.

I do not consider my invention limited to the particular means for reciprocating the pusher nor the particular means shown for adjusting the wood plug in the pusher, except where such means are specifically mentioned in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is

l. The combination in a button-cutting machine, of the pusher, an exterior guideway beside the pusher and a lateral finger attached to the pusher and engaging said guideway, whereby rotation of the pusher is prevented, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the tail-stock, the reciprocating pusher therein provided with a finger engaging an exterior guideway beside the pusher, and the upper and lower bars forming such guideway, and means for reciprocating the pusher, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the tailstock, the reciprocating pusher therein, the upper and lower plates forming a guideway exterior to the pusher; with a ring on the pusher provided with a finger engaging such guideway, and means for reciprocating the pusher, substantially as described.

4. The combination in a button-cutting machine of the pusher, a wooden plug in the pusher and means for projecting the plug from the pusher as the same is worn.

5. In a button-cutting machine, the combination of the tail-stock, the pusher therein, and means for reciprocating the pusher; with an adjustable wood plug within the pusher and means for gradually ejecting the plug from the pusher as it wears.

6. In a button-cutting machine, the combination of the head-stock, the saw therein, the tail-stock, the pusher therein, means for reciprocating the pusher and means for preventing rotation thereof; with an adjustable wood plug within the pusher and means for gradually ejecting the plug from the pusher as it wears, substantially as described.

7. In a button-cutting machine the combination of the tubular pusher and means for reciprocating the same, a wood plug in the pusher, a plug-adjusting blockin said pusher, and a rotatable rod havinga screw-thread connection with said block for adjusting the same, substantially as specified.

8. In a button-cutting machine, the combination of the head-stock carrying the saw, the tail-stock provided with a reciprocating tubular pusher and means for reciprocating the pusher; with a lateral finger on said pusher engaging a slot exterior to the pusher, a wood plug within the pusher, and means for adjusting said plug, substantially as specified.

9. In a button-cutting machine, the'combination of the head-stock carrying the saw, the tail-stock provided with a reciprocating tubular pusher, a sleeve surrounding one end of said pusher and having a screw-threaded engagement therewith, and means for rotating said sleeve and thereby reciprocating the pusher; with a wood plug Within the pusher and means for adjusting said plug, substantially as described.

10. In a button-cutting machine the combination of the head-stock carrying the saw, the tail-stock provided with a reciprocating tu bular pusher, a sleeve surrounding one end of said pusher and having a screw-threaded engagement therewith, and means forrotat ing said sleeve and thereby reciprocating the pusher, the said sleeve having a flange on its inner end adapted to bear against the inner end of the journal-bearing of the tail-stock to receive the endwise thrust of the pusher, and ball-bearin gs interposed between the end of the flange and said journal-bearing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11. In a button-cutting machine the combination of the head-stock carrying the saw, the tail-stock provided with a reciprocating tubular pusher and means for reciprocating the pusher with a ring attached to said pusher and provided with a projecting finger engaging a guideway formed between upper and lower bars attached to the tail-stock exterior to the pusher to prevent rotation thereof, an adjustable Wood plug in said pusher a plugadjusting block in the pusher, means for preventing rotation of said block, and a rotatable rod in said pusher having a screw-threaded engagement with said block for adjusting the same, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS BARRY, JR.

In presence of GABE BOWMAN, J r., M. W. STAPLETON. 

